The Looking Glass
by patster223
Summary: Magical objects always seemed to find their way to Merlin. So it only made sense that an enchanted mirror would fall into Arthur's possession, and of COURSE that mirror was the one object that could reveal Merlin as a sorcerer. That was just his luck.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Arthur was arrogant. He was pompous. He was just a prat in general really; Merlin had said it loads of times.

But even knowing how much Arthur loved himself, Merlin was still a _little _surprised to find a large full length mirror on the far wall of his master's chambers.

Frowning, Merlin cast a glance over at the mirror, knowing it hadn't been there the day before. Even from a brief glimpse, one could tell that it was _very _old, and fairly worn. Even so, Merlin couldn't deny that it was beautiful, the intricate carvings meticulously engraved on the bronze frame surrounding the glass.

Looking away from the mirror, Merlin was able to go about his morning chores without a second thought. However, it was as he began making Arthur's bed that he realized this was one object he wouldn't be able to ignore.

He'd accidently caught a glimpse of his reflection out of the corner of his eye, and he was aware of something…different about himself. Uneasy, Merlin looked at it again, longer this time. Instantly, he gave all of his attention to the mirror, his eyes widening in shock.

He stared intently into the mirror, not quite able to process what he was seeing. Merlin shifted his gaze after a moment, but almost immediately glanced back, fascinated by what he saw.

It was still him in the mirror, still ordinary Merlin. Or, it _mostly _was. But his eyes, comically large in their surprise, now appeared to be an amber gold instead of their usual blue. He blinked, wondering if it could perhaps be a trick of the light, but his eyes remained the same color.

Tearing his gaze away from the artifact, Merlin glanced at Arthur's mirror over on the dresser, but there his eyes were still their normal blue. Nothing new there. Glancing back at the other mirror, however, Merlin's eyes remained a golden color that could only be described as _magical. _

It was actually very strange. Whenever Merlin performed magic he always felt the energy of it, he could feel the power behind his eyes, but it was on rare occasion that he'd ever actually observed the color change. Using magic had always felt so natural to him, but seeing his amber eyes before him, it now seemed almost the exact opposite.

Merlin heard footsteps in the corridor and froze. Somehow, he didn't know how, an enchanted mirror had found its way into Arthur's chambers, one which conveniently betrayed him as a magic user. If Arthur ever saw him in it, saw his eyes…

"Merlin!"

Merlin jerked his head away from the mirror and quickly stepped away from it so his reflection was no longer showing. "Yes, Sire?" he said, still glancing back at the mirror as if to make sure he couldn't be seen.

Arthur, catching him retreat from the mirror, nodded. "Like it? A gift, from the visiting Lady Kelmar."

Merlin tore his gaze away from the mirror, and at his master's expectant look, began to remove Arthur's armor. As he did, Merlin looked at Arthur with raised eyebrows. "So…she gave you a mirror?"

"Apparently it had been in her family for centuries. It's quite an honor to receive something like that you know," Arthur said defensively, though by his expression, he wasn't quite sure what to make of the gift either. Merlin had finished taking off his armor and Arthur now walked over to the mirror and peered at its strange designs. Looking at the symbols, Merlin could feel the power behind them, but tried to hide his discomfort with a joke.

Merlin smirked. "Of course. And it's such a useful gift too. Now you can look at yourself in a mirror even more."

Arthur snorted. "By the looks of your dress, I'd say you don't even _own _a mirror, Merlin," he said, gesturing to Merlin's rather misshapen clothes.

Merlin looked down and couldn't help but notice there was a hole forming in his jacket. Sighing, he glared at Arthur's armor, dreading the polishing it would require. "Will that be all, Sire, or shall I leave you two alone?" Merlin asked, gesturing to Arthur and his reflection.

Arthur, never one to let a jibe like that go unnoticed, smirked. "Actually, once you're down polishing my armor, I'll need you to muck out my stables."

"My favorite chore," Merlin mumbled as he made his way out of Arthur's chambers. Opening the door, he looked back and saw that Arthur had abandoned the mirror and was now studying several pieces of parchment at his desk. But while Arthur was readily ignoring the object, Merlin didn't have that same luxury. Aside from it showing him with golden eyes, the mirror seemed ancient, old…and definitely magical. Looking at it gave him an uneasy feeling, and Merlin quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

/

"You said this is an enchanted mirror?"

"It had to be," Merlin replied, looking at Gaius over the table, having just told him about the gift Arthur received. "It was so strange. My eyes had changed color but I wasn't even performing any magic."

"Hmm," Gaius said, tapping one of the many books that were currently spread over the table. They'd been consulting them for a good amount of time now, but hadn't found much. There was a surprising amount of information on magic mirrors in the books, almost too much, and the sheer amount of information had gotten them no closer to a lead than when they'd started.

"What are you thinking?" Merlin asked, flipping through yet another volume on enchanted objects.

"I'm thinking that only powerful magic can see things as they truly are," Gaius said. Frowning, he flipped to the back of one book, a thought having struck him.

"What do you mean?" Merlin closed the book in front of him as he watched Gaius gaze intently at the pages of his own volume. "Are there objects like that, ones that can tell I'm magic?"

"Yes, Merlin. And I believe you just encountered one this morning." Gaius, having found what he was looking for, put the book in front of Merlin and pointed at the page. On it was a drawing of a mirror. Merlin had seen more drawings of enchanted mirrors than he could count today, but this one was familiar. The picture showed an ancient relic, surrounded by symbols and markings.

"Those are the symbols that were carved on the mirror's frame," Merlin whispered, running his hand over them.

Gaius exhaled through his nose. "I was hoping this wasn't the mirror you saw."

"Why? Gaius, is it dangerous?" Merlin asked, taking his hand off of the symbols as if they could somehow harm him.

"Perhaps," Gaius said, deep in his own musings. "Merlin, this is a very old enchantment."

"Yeah, Arthur said it had been in Lady Kelmar's family for ages," Merlin said. "Do you think she knew what it was?"

"I don't think she did. Enchantments like this can go for decades unnoticed, even centuries. It was probably first enchanted long before she was even born."

"Gaius," Merlin said, "what does it do?"

Gaius sighed. "It's a Looking Glass, Merlin. They're very rare, and very powerful. They're able to show things, show people, as what they truly are. It can see through all enchantments and spells. It's said that with the proper power, Looking Glasses can be used to reveal any truth. That was their duty, back when they were used."

"Yeah, the only problem is, it's about to reveal _my _secret. Gaius, I'm in Arthur's chambers everyday. Sooner or later Arthur's going to see me in it, and when that happens, I'm as good as dead," Merlin scowled, slamming the book shut.

"You'll have to destroy it," Gaius said simply.

Merlin's head jerked towards Gaius'. "Are you kidding me? Lady Kelmar _gave _that mirror to Arthur; it'd been in her family for _centuries. _Do you know how much trouble I'll get in if I break it?"

Gaius stood up, placing the books they'd been reading from into one neat pile. "More trouble than getting executed? I'm sorry, Merlin, but it's either breaking the mirror or letting it expose you. You don't have much of a choice," he said, patting Merlin on the back before walking away.

Merlin let his head hit the table and sighed. How was it that the enchanted objects always manage to find _him _anyway?

/

The next morning, Merlin once again found himself in front of the mirror. Just like before, he could feel the power of the carved ruins almost as they were a tangible force. And like with every single damned magical object that came into Camelot, Merlin could feel it emanating an undeniable pull, as if it were calling to him.

Looking at his reflection, Merlin frowned. There he was, his normal, ordinary self. Except, of course, for his golden eyes. Yep, just his ordinary self…

Or rather, this was his _true _self, the part he must always keep hidden. Which is why he was here in the first place.

Merlin took a deep breath and held out his hand to the mirror. But instead of uttering the words which would shatter the mirror into a million pieces, he ran his hand softly over the wooden frame. The runes, carved of the Old Religion, felt comforting to his touch. He once again felt the mirror's pull, and his stomach churned at the thought of destroying it. Somehow he could recognize it as a work of art, something that shouldn't be harmed. The mirror felt as dear to him as if it were a long lost relative, bonded to him by the power of the magic which ran through them both.

Merlin shook his head. It wasn't art, it wasn't a relative; it was a _mirror. _Swallowing heavily, he held out his hand once again, hearing the magic words in his head, feeling them at the back of his throat, just waiting to be said.

The slamming of a door made Merlin jump. His head jerked up and he saw Arthur standing there, looking at him quizzically.

Merlin swallowed heavily and tried to slow his breathing. He hadn't realized how deeply he'd been concentrating on the mirror. He quickly stepped away from it and forced a smile on his face. "Back from your training early, Arthur?"

Arthur nodded and placed his sword on the table, a hint of a smirk visible on his face. "What's the matter, Merlin? You seem a bit jumpy. See something in there you didn't like?" Arthur grinned, gesturing towards the large mirror.

Merlin thought of his own dimly glowing eyes and shook his head. "No, Sir, you only startled me is all."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin, you are a terrible liar. You know you can't keep anything from me."

Merlin nodded. "Unfortunately, that's very true," he muttered to himself so Arthur couldn't hear. Louder he said, "I was just, uh…about to polish it. The mirror. I was going to polish the mirror."

"It is rather dusty," Arthur noticed, taking some fruit from the bowl on the table. "Go on then."

Merlin's throat felt dry as he grabbed the spare rag which he was supposed to have been using to dust Arthur's room. Slowly he went over to the mirror, trying to act casual about it, but knowing he was failing as Arthur began to look at him questioningly. Avoiding any eye contact with the mirror, he began to polish it, feeling almost feverish as he felt the magic beneath its surface. Gaius was right, it _was _powerful. And it was most certainly going to expose him.

Arthur walked over to him and stood in front of the mirror. Merlin was practically looking at the floor now, knowing that if he looked up even the tiniest bit, it would mean Arthur finding out the truth. He was polishing the wood now, once again able to feel the meaning of the markings carved into it. They spoke of ancient times and truth and _magic. _He felt sick with the power that ran through them, dazed at the buzz which traveled between the mirror's magic and his own.

"Merlin."

He froze, snapped from his unexpected reverie. "Yes, Sire?"

"You're practically hunched over, look at yourself," Arthur said, clearly unable to fathom his servant's strange behavior. "I know nothing of the self esteem of a servant, but surely even you can look into a mirror?"

"Of course I can," Merlin said in protest. "I'm not a girl, you know."

"Then stop _acting _like one, honestly," Arthur said. What had first been only playful banter was now becoming something more as Merlin stood up straighter and stepped out of the mirror's frame as if it was radioactive. Now when Merlin looked at Arthur he could sense that his odd behavior had made Arthur curious. His stomach's churning became even worse.

"It's just a mirror, Merlin, why won't you look at it?" Arthur said, though it was less of a jibe and more of an actual question now.

Merlin shrugged. "It's like you said, I have self esteem issues. Horribly, horribly low self esteem." He began to rush out of the room, picking up Arthur's armor as he went. "Will that be all, Sire?"

"_Mer_lin."

The young sorcerer was halfway out the door, and closed his eyes in resignation before turning back to Arthur. "Yes, Sire?"

Arthur wasn't looking at him now, only staring intently at the mirror, as if trying to see what Merlin saw. After a moment's thought he said, "I forgot to tell you, there's a tournament tomorrow morning. Polish my armor and sharpen my sword for me."

Surprised Arthur didn't say more, Merlin only nodded, and without being able to believe he'd escaped, rushed out of Arthur's chambers, away from the mirror, and into the safety of the castle.

/

It was the third time Merlin had stared at himself in the Looking Glass that week. Once again, he found himself engrossed by the mirror. Running his hand along the side, he sighed. He should be destroying this mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces, and then be put in the stocks for it. Not admiring himself.

But Merlin couldn't help but like the image in the mirror, the image of who he _really _was. After hiding for so long there was a certain, undeniable relief in the honesty behind the mirror.

Merlin rubbed at his forehead. Gaius would not approve of this. He needed to break the mirror; otherwise he was going to be executed. It was as simple as that.

Pacing the floor in front of the mirror, he looked at it again, seeing his amber eyes staring back at him. He couldn't deny the pull the mirror had on him, even for an enchanted object. Maybe it was because it was a Looking Glass, a mirror of honesty, and he was anything but honest to most of the people around him. Not because he liked lying – quite the opposite - but because it was necessary. Just like breaking the mirror was…

Sighing, Merlin knew he wouldn't be able to break it. He felt too attached to the object, too attracted by its power. Yeah, he'd be sure to tell Gaius that right as he was about to be beheaded.

"So you do look at it."

And, also for the third time, Merlin jumped as Arthur entered his chambers. Merlin walked out of the mirror's frame, mind whirling as Arthur approached him.

"I thought you were at the tournament today," Merlin said, his mouth suddenly dry. He watched as Arthur stepped in front of the mirror.

"I was," Arthur said, "but as we're in between rounds, I thought I might solve a little mystery. I knew you'd be here." Arthur glanced at Merlin before looking back at the mirror. The way he looked at it made Merlin wonder if Arthur saw anything in it either. Did he saw a pompous prince, a future king of Camelot, or something else altogether?

"Arthur?" Merlin questioned.

Looking up from the mirror, Arthur glanced at his servant. "You know, you are a strange person, Merlin. Every time I try to figure out why you act so odd, I come up with more mysteries than before."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Merlin said, figuring that to be the safest answer.

"I saw you looking at this mirror. Today and yesterday. You looked at it almost as if the mirror was something that was yours…something you treasured," Arthur murmured, looking a bit unsure of his words, as if he almost wasn't sure why he was saying them. But as he looked at Merlin, he knew they had some weight of truth in them, and continued, "All I see is a mirror, but when you look at it, you seem to see something else entirely."

Merlin, unable to say anything else, nodded. For some reason, he felt oddly sure that Arthur was saying these things because the Looking Glass was there. Arthur was never one to voice a thought as honestly as he had just done, and Merlin had a feeling that words unsaid were able to come out into the open under the power of the mirror. It really did reveal truth, even if Arthur was unaware of it. The magic was so subtle and natural that it almost made Merlin shiver under the weight of its force.

"I want to see what you see," Arthur said. At Merlin's expression of surprise at his openness, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Come on, Merlin, I want to put my curiosity about this to bed, otherwise I'll never be able to concentrate at the next round of the tournament."

There really was no way out. Slowly, Merlin stepped in front of the mirror, wishing for it to hide the truth just this once. As he became visible in the mirror, Merlin immediately closed his eyes, not knowing any other option right now but to run, which would look somewhat ridiculous from Arthur's perspective. His servant running away from a mirror, from his own reflection. Merlin would never be able to explain his way out of that one.

"Open your eyes."

Merlin could hear the command in Arthur's voice, the one that let him lead the knights of Camelot. "Sire," he said, silently asking Arthur to drop it in just that one word.

Arthur was relentless though, and prodded him on the shoulder. "I have to look at your mug most of the day anyway, Merlin, so just open your eyes so I can stop wondering why you're being such an idiot."

Merlin breathed and slowly opened his eyes, knowing that there was no way to hide any longer. He saw Arthur and himself in the mirror. Arthur looked just as he did in real life, but Merlin's eyes betrayed him for something different. His eyes, not blue, but instead a soft gold, gave him away as a creature of magic, the mirror revealing who he was. _What _he was.

He waited for Arthur to process what he saw. At first shock came across the prince's face, as he tried to compute exactly what he was seeing in the mirror. Then there was slight disbelief. Well, more than slight. _Extreme _disbelief.Merlin could practically see the wheels in Arthur's mind turning as he put two and two together and came up with sorcery.

Arthur took a breath and closed his eyes, opening them again to find Merlin's eyes unchanged. Merlin was frozen in place, only able to wait and see what Arthur would say. He didn't say a word as he waited for Arthur to begin questioning him, to perhaps begin yelling at him for daring to be born with magic.

However, his master only closed his eyes again, as if blocking out the image in front of him. After a long while he said, "Merlin."

"Sire?"

"Why…why are…"

"My eyes?"

"Yes."

"Yeah…"

"You're eyes, they're..."

"I know."

"They're gold."

"Er…sometimes."

"So you're…"

"…Yes."

"All this time?"

Merlin closed his eyes along with Arthur.

"Yes," he exhaled.

The two of them stood there for awhile with their eyes closed. It wasn't clear what to do next. Obviously Merlin should be gathering firewood for his own bonfire right now, but Arthur was saying nothing, so he figured he had a few moments of peace before being dragged to the dungeons.

Finally, after a few full minutes, Arthur said, "I get why you didn't want me to see you in this."

Merlin could do nothing but nod. All words felt numb in his mouth; he was unable to speak as he and Arthur stood side by side in front of the mirror. It felt almost dreamlike, this situation, completely unreal.

"What is it?" Arthur asked. He touched the mirror briefly, though it was evident he couldn't feel the attachment that Merlin did.

Merlin swallowed before explaining, painfully aware of how strange it felt to be talking to Arthur about things like this. Normally he was trying to keep Arthur as in the dark as possible. "It's…a Looking Glass. It reveals the truth. It reveals who people really are."

"It shows you to be a sorcerer," Arthur said simply.

"Well…yes. But, Arthur, I'm not evil, or bad, you have to believe me," Merlin said, knowing how weak his words must have sounded. "It's just who I am."

"Well what you are is something that will get you executed around here, Merlin," Arthur said, his words tinged with spite. Though whether it was spite at the law or at Merlin, the young sorcerer wasn't sure.

Hesitating, Merlin asked, "Are you going to have me executed, Sire?"

"According to the law, I must," Arthur said, but he said it as more of a question to himself than as a sure statement. Looking at the mirror, after studying Merlin's eyes for a moment, he said, "You know, that looks very…unnatural. It's unnerving."

Merlin, still confused as to why Arthur hadn't turned him in already, shrugged. "It's just something I'm used to. Sire."

Arthur sighed. "Believe it or not, that doesn't reassure me."

"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Arthur shook his head. "To tell you the truth, I don't know."

Merlin almost snorted. "The truth is what got me into this mess."

Arthur actually smiled, and he looked at the markings on the mirror's frame. "So this mirror really reveals sorcerers? How my father would love to have it for his use."

"Using an enchanted mirror to catch sorcerers does seem a bit hypocritical," Merlin retorted, before sighing. "Besides, that's not why the mirror was created. It's used to reveal the truth in people; who they are." He said this all almost lovingly, and Arthur glanced at him.

"Why do you care about this mirror so?"

Merlin frowned. "Most magical objects have a certain pull to them that I can sense. But this mirror is different somehow…I just wish I knew why," he sighed. Blinking, he realized he had chosen Arthur of all people as his magical confidante for this mirror, even over Gaius. But for some reason Arthur hadn't called the executioner yet, and he actually seemed mildly interested in the mystery of the mirror.

"Could it be the symbols? They must mean something," Arthur said, pointing to the top of the frame.

Merlin nodded. "Maybe…there must be something that can be used to reveal the truth about the mirror, a spell or…"

"Merlin," Arthur said sternly. "Magic is forbidden in Camelot, or did you not forget?"

"Arthur, we're looking at an enchanted mirror that shows me with glowing eyes," Merlin said, the banter coming to him easily even now. "I think we can forget about that for one little moment."

Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm and looked him in the eye. "You can be executed for doing what you do," he said, more seriously than Merlin had ever heard him.

Merlin looked him back in the eyes and said, "Then call Uther. Have him execute me; it's not as if I can outrun you or your knights. I can't make you forget what the mirror showed you, but before you kill me, just let me figure this out."

"There's nothing _to _figure out! It's a mirror, and if you keep standing there like an idiot, it's going to get you killed," Arthur whispered, glancing at the Merlin's reflection, the one that betrayed him for what he was. _Magic._

"Well you're going to tell Uther anyway, aren't you!" Merlin snapped, though in truth (God, the truth, what a sticky sort of business) it was more out of fear than anger. "Why don't you just tell him to come here right now! I won't run, just go send for him and tell him there's a sorcerer right here in your bedroom."

"He'd kill you," Arthur said, still looking at the mirror, still searching in it for…something.

"That's the general idea," Merlin said stiffly.

Arthur paled at Merlin's words. He jerked from his spot on the floor and ran towards his dresser, searching for something. The act was the only amount of movement he had made in minutes, and the suddenness of it made Merlin's head spin. He held out a hand to the mirror to center himself, taking a deep breath as he felt the connection between him and the object.

"Merlin, move."

Merlin turned around slowly to find Arthur holding his mace. Merlin's eyes widened. "Arthur, what are you doing?" He automatically took a step back, a step closer to the comfort of the mirror. Perhaps Arthur wasn't even going to wait for the executioner? Maybe he would kill him right there, for daring to lie to the future king.

"I'm doing what needs to be done," Arthur said with finality. His voice seemed strained as he fought to come to terms with his decision, his mind clearly made up whether he knew it was right or not. "What you haven't yet done, because apparently you're a complete _idiot." _

Merlin's eyes widened again, but a different reason entirely. His hand trembled as he clutched the frame of the mirror, holding onto it like as if it were a life line. "Arthur, no," he said firmly. "You can't."

Arthur actually laughed, though it came out sounding false. "You do remember who I am?"

"A prat, and a royal one," Merlin said, the same dim laugh sneaking into his voice as well, as if it were infectious. "But this is a precious thing, Arthur. You can't destroy it."

Arthur paused for a moment. He really looked at Merlin, examining him, and Merlin felt like Arthur was finally able to see him through and through, for what – for _whom _– he really was. It was almost a relief, and Arthur must have felt it too, because after seeing the panic in Merlin's eyes at the mere thought of destroying the mirror, he lowered his mace. Sighing, he nodded to Merlin-

-before throwing him out of the way as easily as if he were a child, and raising his mace towards the object. Sparing a last glance at the horrified manservant, Arthur smiled in that weak way again. "I'm sorry, Merlin. But this is for your own good."

"Please," Merlin whispered, and it came out so broken that even Merlin blinked in surprise. Arthur too, hesitated, and look from Merlin to the mirror. He studied it for what felt like hours, searching for something, _anything _in the mirror that could explain the situation he'd gotten himself into. Time seemed to slow around them, sounds seemed to fade, as Arthur searched the mirror for meaning.

He didn't see himself with glowing eyes like Merlin did, and he didn't see himself in any special sort of way either. He didn't know whether to be disappointed or not. All he could see was himself. He frowned, studying his image. Contrary to Merlin's belief, Arthur rarely took the time to look at himself in a mirror, only bothering when he needed a brief check of himself to make sure he was presentable for the court.

Now he still saw himself, but the image seemed…foreign to him. The man in the mirror was tall, determined, wielding the mace as if it was what he was born to do. He held an air of regality to him, obviously wasn't a commoner, but there was also a look to him that suggested kindness. Though at the moment, that kindness was smothered by a look of wildness, a certainty that destroying this mirror was the right thing to do. Or maybe that wild look in his eyes was fueled by kindness. By…love.

Arthur looked back at Merlin, who was sitting frozen where he sat. He had a horrified look in his eyes at the prospect of the magical (and Arthur could still hardly think the word without the hairs on the back of his neck standing up) mirror being destroyed. For some reason this mirror was important to Merlin. Even if the moron didn't seem to realize that Arthur was trying to help him.

Arthur looked from Merlin back to the mirror and felt a nagging feeling in his stomach, one that spoke of friendship and loyalty and love, so much love, for his people and for his friends, and for Merlin. His arms lowered of their own accord as he found himself unable – no, not unable, but for the simple reason that he didn't _want _to – to break the mirror.

Shaking his head, Arthur dropped the mace to the floor. As if a switch had been turned on, sound rushed back to the room, the chaos of the square distant below them, the clashing swords of the tournament making their way to their ears. Arthur stumbled, and with one hand out managed to find the wall. He sank against it, as if the mirror had put him through an exhausting trial.

Merlin immediately stood up and went to Arthur, his face marred with worry, his eyes questioning. "Arthur?" he asked, hesitantly touching him on the shoulder.

Arthur turned to Merlin and swallowed heavily. "Yeah?"

"What did you see?" Merlin asked, casting a glance towards the mirror. He could still feel its power thrumming through the object, transcending into the air, and he had the feeling that Arthur could sense it too, though perhaps not consciously.

"I saw…" Arthur trailed off. "Me. Just me."

Merlin waited for Arthur to say more, but he didn't. Cracking a smile, Merlin said, "Well, no wonder you were knocked off your feet. No way you could have destroyed that thing while looking at yourself in it. That would have been a tragedy."

Arthur actually laughed at that, a real one that time, and Merlin's smile grew wider.

"I saw that I can't destroy magic simply for existing. It's something that should just…be," Arthur elaborated, unsure, still feeling that protectiveness in his stomach, the one that now seemed to reign exclusively over mirrors and menservants. A thought struck him and before this moment of honesty he was sharing with Merlin ended, he needed to ask. "What do you see? I mean, besides the…" Arthur gestured to his face.

"Eyes?" Merlin supplied, still smirking.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to those," Arthur sighed.

Merlin's smile turned slightly cautious, as if not daring to be hopeful. "So…you're not going to execute me?"

"Depends. Are you going to tell me what you saw in it or not?" Arthur grinned.

Merlin laughed, and any tension left in the room fled at the sound of it. Merlin's laugh was special that way. He nodded towards the mirror. "I see me," he said simply. "Just like you do."

Arthur frowned at his servant's – his friend's – enigmatic words. Merlin chose the oddest moments to be mysterious. Though he was a sorcerer, so that was about par for the course it seemed. "Why should that make it special?"

"It's hard to explain…" Merlin said, looking again at the mirror, which now only stood there innocently. "Most magical objects have a kind of pull, but this one more so. I think it's because I…I don't have to hide anything, in front of the mirror. I'm just me." He shrugged. "I know, a bit silly."

Arthur nodded slowly. "It is. Luckily, I already knew you were a silly person, Merlin. Even _you _couldn't have hidden that." Underneath the joke was a kind of understanding that didn't need to be said aloud. There was a kind of magic in not having to hide who you are, one which had nothing to do with sorcery.

Merlin grinned. "I don't know about that. I _was _able to hide my magic after all."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I bet most of that was just luck. I would have found out eventually."

"No you wouldn't have," Merlin said teasingly. "If you couldn't find out in three years, you weren't likely to find out any time soon."

"Yes I would have!" Arthur said defiantly. "I found out today, didn't I? Of course, that was only because you were too stupid to destroy a magic mirror that shows you with glowing eyes, so perhaps you have a point."

Merlin laughed. "Alright, got me there."

Arthur nodded. "Besides, I don't think I'll be needing this mirror anymore. The surface is dull, not suitable at all for a prince. I'll just have to put it in the storeroom where no one will use it again."

"Why would you do that?" Merlin asked, and Arthur could have rolled his eyes, because his servant really was _spectacularly_ ignorant sometimes.

"I don't know, maybe so no one walks in on you admiring your reflection again, _Mer_lin," Arthur said, forced to spelling it out for the manservant.

Merlin's eyes widened as he realized the significance in Arthur's words. "Ohhh. So wait. You're really not going to turn me in?"

This time Arthur actually did roll his eyes. "No, I'm not, you idiot." After a moment, he continued speaking, though whether it was the mirror's effect on him, or his and Merlin's friendship, he'd never know. "And you won't be needing that mirror any longer. You don't have to hide who you are anymore, Merlin, not in front of me."

Merlin smiled shyly at the ground and nodded. "And the same for you. You know, if you ever feel like not putting on the indestructible prince façade."

Arthur snorted, but smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. But Merlin?" he said, straightening up.

"Yeah?"

"Let's try to keep this sort of thing to a minimum, eh? I want us to be honest, but more than one heart-to-heart session a week is a bit much for me," he said, walking towards the door.

Merlin stayed where he was, but Arthur could still hear the grin in his voice when he answered. "Of course not, sire."

Arthur smiled to himself and walked out of the room. After a moment, he popped his head back in and raised an eyebrow at the unmoving servant. "Well? Are you coming, or are my lances going to have to repair themselves?"

He got a raised eyebrow in return for his trouble, reminding Arthur that Merlin really _could_ make the lances repair themselves, if he wanted to. Nonetheless, Merlin followed him out, falling into step beside him.

And really, even with the truth out there, nothing much changed. If Merlin felt more relaxed around Arthur than before, or if Arthur now always met Merlin's eyes at the beginning of a fight, neither of them said anything about it. They were honest, yes, but those sort of things didn't need to be said aloud. They just were.


End file.
